[78-L] OFF SPEED RECORDINGS

[David Lennick]

What's really fun is transferring a classical piece that has no key signature 
and no online or YouTube samples to compare with, but you know it's off key, 
you just don't know WHICH key it's off. I ran into one of these last night, on 
a Westminster lp from an Argo master. (No suspense here, I found another 
recording of the same work on an old lp that I hope gave me the right answer.)

dl

On 8/27/2012 6:11 PM, Tim Huskisson wrote:
> Actually the KEY of the arrangement is a VITAL aspect of determining the
> correct speed. While it is true that there were arrangements in Keys not
> ideally suited to Bb and Eb instruments - it is extremely unusual for an
> arranger not to modulate to a  more suitable key for instrumental solos -
> particularly if they are improvised. Thus a Benny Goodman improvised
> clarinet solo that appears to be in the key of A, most definitely will be in
> Ab or Bb (Good as Benny was!). Other clues can be taken from the
> characteristics and limitations of various musical instruments. For example,
> Double-Bass will not play a Low Eb, because the Bottom String is tuned to E.
>
> Tim Huskisson
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
> [mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Sultanof
> Sent: 27 August 2012 22:47
> To: 78-L Mail List
> Subject: Re: [78-L] OFF SPEED RECORDINGS
>
> David,
>
> With all due respect, it was not unusual at all for dance bands to play in
> the key of A and E. Fletcher Henderson wrote in those keys all the time. I
> just edited La Paloma arranged by Gil Evans, the first part of which is in
> the key of E major. I've seen several arrangements for Benny Goodman from
> the early forties which were in sharp keys as well.
>
> This does not mean, however, that they speeds on these sides are indeed
> faster than the norm. But one can't base an argument on the key of the
> arrangement as evidence as far as I'm concerned. Are there vocals on these
> records? How do they sound?
>
> Jeff Sultanof
>
> On Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 3:23 PM, David Lennick<dlennick at sympatico.ca>wrote:
>
>> Another word about records made at weird speeds (it was discussed on
>> this forum, right?)..there are Guy Lombardo sides made in Chicago for
>> Columbia that are a good 4% off. It was Jeff Healey who pointed this
>> out to me years ago when we were working on a Lombardo project, and
>> what he said matched up with the "correct key" situation for dance
>> band recordings. "I Can't Do Without You" on Columbia 1395-D, at
>> 78RPM, plays just slightly below A! No dance band would play in A. A
>> flat, yes. B flat, yes (but that would mean going up more than 5%). "I
>> Love You Truly", from this same session, is also this far off speed,
>> which must have caused some fancy dancing when it was played at
>> weddings over the years. (The flip of 1395, Waitin' for Katy, only
>> needs to go down 1.5% so they weren't too careful about running the
>> cutting tables at specified
>> speeds.)
>>
>> dl